Nail Hardeners and Treatments

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Nail Hardeners - Fluoride Based Nail Treatments I

OMG, we have gotten over the hump of the Nail Hardener/Treatment Series. This post will explore 1/2 of the duo that was my "Magic Bullet" ... Fluoride Based Nail Treatments!

This is part I of Fluoride Based Nail Treatments. Part II is linked at the bottom. The fluoride based nail treatment is part of a greater series on Nail Hardeners that can be found here.

So as you know I like me some home shopping channels. One night I was watching QVC and saw this old lady with nice nails selling this nail strengthening product.

Doris Crary
I was so jealous and amazed. I must have watched the presentations for a year or two (what can I say, I like to torture myself :p), but eventually I ordered because I couldn't hold out any longer. I was not disappointed.

I wish I had before and after pictures, but that was so long ago ... before digital cameras 0_o ... at least in my realm of being.

I have tried several of the Prostrong products and kits, but feel you only really need the fluoride accelerator (pictured above) + your own moisturizer of choice. This routine, along with these rules, helped me to eliminate most of my peeling.

How does it work:
Prostrong has the patent, therefore mostly a monopoly, on this technology (sadly). Almay used to have a product similar to this, but I haven't seen it in the store in 7+ years. In short, calcium (Ca) and fluoride (F) make a pretty strong bond as calcium fluoride (Ca-F). (yeay chemistry!) You have naturally occurring calcium in the nail plate, while the fluoride resides in the strengthener. Placing the treatment on your nails creates lots n lots of Ca-F (calcium fluoride) bonds, which in effect hardens the nail plate. This is actually very similar to the way formaldehyde strengtheners work (in idea only); there is no cross linking of keratin with the fluoride treatments.

What type of nail would benefit from this product?
Ideally, nail strength is achieved through a balance of nail hardness and flexibility. If your nail has the following combination of characteristics soft, bends easily, tears and peels (how to determine these things click here) then you could benefit from fluoride treatments since adding hardness to the nail plate will balance out the flexibility already in the nail plate. Furthermore, it is important to maintain a proper moisture routine during and after treatment as this prevents dry brittle nails.

A single symptom of peeling does not mean this treatment is right for you. Peeling can result from a whole host of physical trauma or lack of moisture and the exact causes must be determined and analyzed on a case be case basis. Think about whether you do any of the following things mentioned in this post. If you are guilty (even if by association only) do your best to correct the problem because after all healthy nails = :D

Nail Hardeners - Fluoride Based Nail Treatments part II will discuss - Prostrong application, fluoride based treatments problems and concerns, other fluoride containing treatments, and where to find them.

OK, I bought it! I, too, have been wondering about this product for years, but you have convinced me. Your nails are amazing. I, on the other hand, just took off my acrylics after six years and my nails are a disaster. So I hope the ProStrong will help. Now I'll see if I can learn to file my nails the way you suggest.

Love your blog, BTW. I found it when I was doing a search for Zoya nail polish,of all things!

I tried the prostrong line long ago. Did nothing for me and the polishes were awful too. I applied them with base coat and everything. Nails wiped clean before application All was fine and pretty but when I washed my hands or took a shower, the polish would just peel off! Very strange polish, not waterproof.

Gave up on this stuff and would rather just moisturize my nails with a stick of unsalted butter! :p

My guess is that your nails were hard enough and no amount of formaldehyde or fluoride was going to fix anything ... only moisture could. That just goes to show you that finding the right treatment for your particular nail condition is important.

So hell yea start slathering and can you pass the bacon grease instead? :p

Hey! Absolutely love your blog! I started using dermanail after I found "you" and now recovering from breaks caused by switching apartments, my nails seems to not suffer as much of cracks and breaks on the sidewalls! I like! So I started to look for Pro accelerator. I live in Sweden and cannot find it here so expaned my search for it to anywhere that ships to Sweden. And QVC UK does! Yay! But they only have Proadvanced. I e-mailed them to ask and they say it´s the same thing but I´m not sure. My experience is that great products found cross the Atlantic sometimes changes, guess differernt types of rules on ingrediens, they get less effective basically. Do you know if Proadvanced just is a new, and perhaps better, version? Does not say much in prostrongs website either....

Hey Loodie - question - the Canadian QVC (The Shopping Channel) has a bunch of Prostrong products for sale, but I don't see the Accelerator. Does it come by a different name now? :P Here's the link: http://www.theshoppingchannel.com/Prostrong/pages/productresults?nav=N:100038-2046847&s_kwcid=TC|14868|%2Bprostrong%20%2Bnail||S|b|14823605100&gclid=CMP7hYfQk7MCFYpFMgodqVkAPw

I found that my severely peeling nails were the result of iron deficiency. So a daily iron supplement first thing, or some take prenatal vitamins, can be a cause for those of us with thin nails, that won't stop peeling.

About Me

I am a big nerdy scientist who likes to eat and do my nails, preferably not at the same time.
Nail care has been an obsession of mine for a really long time and I just want to share what I know.
CONTACT: xloodiex@gmail.com

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